I’m here with Dr. Saw Simon the founder & principle of KKBBSC –the college inside the Mae La Refugee Camp at the Thai Burma border. He’s been in the camp for 22yrs. His work on behalf of the Karen People is now known far and wide. Madeleine Albright has been to see his work as well as Aung Sang Sui Kyi Burma’s rising prophet of hope. Prominent UN & religious leaders have made their way to his humble abode where he lives with his wife along with 50,000 other refugees in small thatch and bamboo dwellings. The school (now 450 students) is Baptist (as are most Karen).  Because of the plight of the Karen people, the shape and fabric of their religion has been woven into many fine social strands – justice, hope, equality, human dignity, peace and reconciliation. One must wait for Dr Simon to speak. His brevity and quiet way tests almost all visitors and is sometimes misunderstood. But if a guest is patient, lets the bucket down into the well and waits, wonderful tales and stories are forthcoming. Hidden away in the remote mountains, ostensibly removed from the world Dr Simon has his fingers on political and religious movements far and wide. He remembers dates, events and personalities and their histories with uncanny precision. And he is testing the winds for the Karen whether the times of change they have prayed and waited for are now emerging. At his invitation, I taught for 2 weeks at the school.

Everyday for 17 days I traveled from Mae Sot to the Mae La Refugee Camp 67 km away, in a bus that picked up its passengers at random along the highway. By the time I reached the camp, 1.5hrs later, the pickup bus was jammed full. On the third day, I counted 23 in the little truck.  Thinking this was the limit I consoled myself. The next day we crammed 47 people in the truck, not counting chickens and sundry animals. This did not include the front seat in the pickup that had four more passengers. The truck looked more like a tethered flag waving in the wind for the fact bodies were literally hanging out like clothes on a clothesline. To get to the camp we had to cross 3 military roadblocks. The Thai government wants to slow illegal movement on their border with Myanmar so there are frequent document checks in route. The two children you see in the picture were part of a family of 5 headed to the security of the refugee camp, but without documents they were depending on bribes if detected. It was heartbreaking to see what happened. They made it through the first check point but they were not so lucky at the second. Studiously trying to avoid eye contact with the soldiers they stared silently down until forced to respond where upon they thrust 200 bhat [$6.00] toward the soldier who refused it probably because a USA citizen was looking on [myself]. The fear on their faces was palpable. I could not shake the hopelessness and desperation I witnessed in their eyes as they were hauled off the little truck to be shipped back across the border. There was not an ounce of compassion and kindness in the soldiers eyes.  Micah 6 kept running through my mind “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God”

This is a little house church just inside the Thai border a few miles from Burma. Philip, a Burmese, is the young man leading. There are about 15 people in this church with about 10 children. All are Burmese and most have come to Thailand illegally after their property was taken by Myanmar military leaders (usually for no reason except greed.) Two of the members are college graduates and one is a teacher. Philip raises money and feeds his congregation as well as provides classes in English. I spoke at his church twice on successive Sunday mornings. A gifted and very compassionate leader it is almost certain this church will soon burst its seams. There are 1000’s of Burmese who have migrated across the border in search of a new life but a new life is hard to put together. Even though Burma is changing they have nothing to return to. Mission work here is humanitarian and religious. The church becomes a place where food, education and community are present in a setting where faith and Christian beliefs create fellowship.  It is everything fragmented people need. No committee decides whether the church’s endeavor will front social relief—it’s in the mix from the get go.